For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof all over the lid and above the crease with the 249 to lay down your eyeshadow base. Apply the taupe shade all over the lid with the 239, and then lightly sweep and diffuse the muted mulberry shade into the crease with the 222. Diffuse the crease edge with Trench eyeshadow using the 217. Next, apply Rue Bonaparte eyeliner on the lower water line and Via Appia eyeliner on the lower lash line.Coat lashes with Film Noir mascara to finish the look.

For cheeks, apply Cassandre on the apples of the cheeks and sweep towards the temple with the 188.

Le Metier de Beaute Fall/Winter 2011 Collection: Silk Road

For almost 3000 years, a vast network connected Eastern civilization to the outside world. Silk, satin, spices and jewels made the journey, connecting east and west, along what would become known as the “Silk Road.” As the Silk Road evolved, a true cultural exchange took place as ideas and knowledge changed hands. This fusion of culture and trade, of luxury and texture comes together in Le Métier de Beauté’s Fall|Winter 2011 Collection. Introducing Silk Road, a journey of discovery and luxurious sensuality.

Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit ($95.00)

Le Métier de Beauté’s new Fall|Winter 2011 Kaleidoscope Eye Kit transfixes with rich and opulent hues reminiscent of the luxe fabrics of an ancient world. A selection of four sumptuous shadows come together (from top to bottom):

Tapestry Shimmering, translucent plum

Damask Polished brass

Ikat Silk-matte pinot noir

Brocade Deep chocolate with sequined copper effervescence

Experience each jewel-toned hue through the previous hue, as all four pigments intertwine to create a prism for the ultimate color contrast with the wearer’s eye shape and color. Using the Le Métier de Beauté signature eye shadow application technique, “Couches de Couleur” (the layering of color), each hue is selected to evoke one element in a sequence of crescendo: 1. Warm 2. Cool 3. Hot 4. Cold. The combination is famed for increasing the femininity of the eyes, while adding a dash of mystery.

Empress Kaleidoscope Lip Kit ($95.00)

Le Métier de Beauté’s new Fall|Winter 2011 Kaleidoscope Lip Kit mixes rich, luxurious hues reflective of the majestically jewels traded along the Silk Road. A selection of four delicate shades come together for a luscious pout. Using Le Métier de Beauté’s exclusive “Couches de Colour” application technique, layer the four shades (from top to bottom):

Imperial Silk Pale pink for a nude base

Plum Satin Creamy plum for rich contrast

Empress Delicate mauve mixed with soft champagne

Silk Road Shimmering red for sheer highlight

East Meets West Nail Lacquer Collection ($10.00 each)

The winding and impossibly distant channel of the Silk Road extended from as far as China to Indonesia, through Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt, until reaching Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean civilizations. Le Métier de Beauté’s East Meets West Nail Collection brings together a wealth of color reminiscent of the jewels, spices and luxurious fabrics that traveled this ancient path.

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No, I don’t think I have any brand loyalty. Initially, sure, I was using about 99% MAC products, but the brand is such a perfect gateway drug–the price point is less than other high end brands but you get the same “experience” of the store/counter, range of products, etc. Plus, with something new rolling out every few weeks, you never have time to go anywhere else! Since I started blogging, though, that has all gone out the window, and it’s given me a better appreciation of what goes into good/bad products and what works and doesn’t work.

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner

NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner ($23.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a new (and permanent) long-wearing pencil eyeliner that is available in nine shades (though two have not yet been made available online). They’re touted to have 12-hour wear with no smearing or caking. Each eyeliner twists up and also has a built-in sharpener.

I posted sneak peek swatches a couple of days ago, and I’ve spent the time since then testing different shades out to see how they wear. I had high hopes for this product, especially because the initial wear test (which had only been four hours or so) made it seem promising. First, these are infinitely better than NARS Eyeliner Pencils. When I had these on the back of my hand, I can’t smudge them after they set–really vigorous rubbing will cause them to flake a bit, though.

Santa Monica Blvd. is a pure white a matte finish. This one applied a bit unevenly, and it seemed less opaque than the other shades. It seems similar to MAC Pure White.

Rue Bonaparte is a soft beige with a matte finish. This works well to give eyes a more awake appearance when used on the waterline–the problem is getting it to stay there, though. It seems a touch lighter than MAC NC15/NW20.

Abbey Road is a blue-teal with soft blue shimmer. It seems similar to Urban Decay’s Covet.

Rue Saint-Honore is a royal purple with strong blue pull–it’s described as a deep royal blue but looks more purple than blue on me.

Via Appia is a dark, copper-shimmered brown. It’s not as dark (or as warm) as Urban Decay Corrupt.

Madison Ave. is a medium-dark gray with a matte finish.

Via Veneto is a deep, dark black with a matte finish. It reminded me of Urban Decay’s Perversion and MAC Black Black.

I’m not sure if these are waterline-safe or not–the press release nor the website indicate that they are–but typically, matte shades are usually suitable for the waterline while shimmery/glittery shades may not be. I wore Via Veneto (which is a deep, dark black) on my lower waterline and lash line, and I get about an hour of wear on the waterline before the majority has faded away.

The eyeliner on the lash line lasts much longer, and what I noticed is when I wore foundation, the eyeliner wore better and had no smudging eight hours later. By 12-hours (the claimed wear time), there was very, very faint smudging underneath the lash line, and the eyeliner wasn’t as intense or as thick as it was originally. When I wore no foundation, by the sixth hour, there seemed to be a faint, but noticeable, darkness beneath the line–a subtle smudging. I don’t have oily eyelids, and when it’s not allergy season (and it is not), I don’t have very watery eyes.

The built-in sharpener is best used when you twist-up the pencil a good amount, because you really need to get a good portion of it into the sharpener to get it to work. You do lose some pencil in the process in order to achieve the slanted, pointed tip. It seems a bit less than a traditional pencil eyeliner per sharpening, but I’m not sure it’s significant enough that one would be persuaded solely by that–after all, most pencil eyeliners are 0.04 oz. and this is half the size at 0.02 oz. and you do still waste some when sharpening. It is more than most mechanical eyeliners (which are around 0.01 on average), though.

They’re creamy and deposit mostly even color when applied (except Santa Monica Blvd., which is sheerer overall). They glide across the skin and lash lines with ease, so there is no tugging or pulling. The texture of these–overall–is really nice and easy enough to apply. The wear is good, and of course, when it comes to eyeliner, wear is the defining factor.

NARS Fall 2011: Delphes Eyeshadow Trio

NARS Delphes Eyeshadow Trio ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is described as a trio of “sparkling sheer peach, matte dove grey, and frosted sage.” It is a limited edition piece from the fall collection, which is slated to hit retailers in August but currently available online at NARS.

The first shade in the trio is a soft, shimmering peach champagne that’s a little sheer with chunky, silver glitter. It is similar to Inglot #397, while Urban Decay Virgin has a less shimmery finish and a pinker look. The texture itself has a subtle grittiness from the glitter, and it does leave behind some glitter fall out, and if one uses it as a brow highlighter, you’ll probably find a few stray glittery bits in your brows a few hours later.

The second shade is a bluish-gray with a matte finish but the shade itself has little specks of sparkle. Like the first shade, it is sheerer than expected. Inglot #339 is similar in color but darker. This color blends out easily, but because it starts off sheerer, it requires some building for good color intensity when applied and a light hand to blend.

The last shade of the trio is a springy green with a part frost, part metallic finish. This was the most pigmented shade of the three. It has more of a silver sheen compared to Urban Decay Urb, while theBalm Run Around Rebecca has a brown-like sheen in comparison.

This trio of colors should appeal to those who prefer their eyeshadows soft, subtle, and generally sheerer. One of the three shades is nicely pigmented, but the other two are on the sheerer side, while the peach shade is described specifically as sheer, the other two are not and should conform to NARS’ description of the trios (“highly pigmented, long-wearing, and crease-resistant”). Generally, I get about seven to eight hours of decent wear before there is subtle creasing when these are worn alone–I always recommend an eyeshadow primer underneath these. (I don’t think that, on its own, is a deal-breaker–most of us use eyeshadow bases regularly–but I include it because it is part of the product’s claims.)

I like the packaging that NARS has embraced for the trios, because the divider between each shade (and even distribution of each color) makes it easy to use the shades individually without blending the two together. The rubberized packaging makes these less prone to breaking upon impact (because it absorbs some of the impact better than a hard plastic would), and it’s easier to hold. Each compact also includes a mirror inside, which is a nice bonus.